


Circles

by TheRedHero11037



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Splatoon
Genre: F/F, M/M, Squidkid AU, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-25
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-23 06:27:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4866551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedHero11037/pseuds/TheRedHero11037
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Turf War today was not going as well as Cloud had wanted it to. For one thing, they had to find a replacement for one of their matches. Aerith may have solved that, but the guy she brought was weird to say the least. He came wearing a big mask and a snow hat that covered all his tentacles, save for a thick blue-black one sticking out over his forehead, and he carried an enormous roller that made Cloud’s entire arsenal look cheap.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Circles

**Author's Note:**

> dear tinyjing i am in love with your squidkid designs thank you  
> for anyone who hasn't seen them please gaze upon them in awe:  
> http://washingtondlc.tumblr.com/post/127604620988/tinyjing-just-look-at-those-cute-squidkid-fangs  
> http://washingtondlc.tumblr.com/post/127604597703/tinyjing-zack-version-of-the-inkling-cloud

Turf War today was not going as well as Cloud had wanted it to. For one thing, they had to find a replacement for one of their matches. Aerith may have solved that, but the guy she brought was weird to say the least. He came wearing a big mask and a snow hat that covered all his tentacles, save for a thick blue-black one sticking out over his forehead, and he carried an enormous roller that made Cloud’s entire arsenal look cheap.

The second thing was the main problem, and it was much, much more trouble. The new guy was pretty good, but when he wasn’t covering the ground with ink, he focused on trying to show off. It was pretty cool the first couple of times he did those flips, but by the time he’d transformed mid-flip for the third time, it was getting pretty obnoxious. Not to mention the way he seemed to always be underfoot when Cloud was in the thick of things, literally swimming around in circles under Cloud’s feet. Maybe it would have been fine for just one match, but it was a set of five! Five terrible, horrible matches with this guy circling around trying to show off. At the very least they won every game.

After it all, the team sat back in victory in the lockers and Aerith finally got the chance to introduce Tifa and Cloud to the mystery teammate. He took of his hat first, shaking out a mess of familiarly-styled tentacles. Cloud shot a look to Aerith. Was this…? No, it couldn’t be.

Except it was. The mask came off and a familiar face emerged from behind it. Big, blue eyes that tinted green by his pupils, a big x-shaped scar on his cheek, and a big smile slipping over his lips.

Aerith's substitute was Zack Fair. As in the Zack Fair, one of the members of the freshest and most famous teams in all of Turf War history. This celebrity was Aerith’s friend, and now Tifa and Cloud were basking in the freshness of the one, the only Zack Fair. Zack Fair had just won them five matches, and now he was circling around Cloud, smiling.

“Hey. What’s your name?” Zack asked, a bright happiness spreading from his crossed pupils. Cloud pointed to himself. Zack nodded.

Aerith took over before Cloud could say a word. “This is Tifa,” she patted the girl’s shoulder. “And this is Cloud.”

“Cloud,” Zack echoed for himself, but then he spoke to Cloud and Tifa. “It’s super cool to meet you guys! Aerith told me a lot about you. When she said I could just drop in for Turf War, I was super stoked.” As Cloud began to pack up his gear, Zack turned his attention back to the mess of feather-yellow tentacles. “You guys are pretty good, y’know?”

“I, um. Thanks.” Cloud tucked away his ink tank, pointedly trying not to stare at the celebrity in their midst.

“Yeah, thank you!” Tifa cheered more freely.

“I mean it. You guys are super cool.” Zack turned to Aerith and burbled something too softly for Cloud to hear.

Cloud tried to avoid talking for the rest of the day. He just knew if he opened his mouth he’d end up embarrassing himself. Of course, that didn’t stop his body from embarrassing him anyway. He managed to trip over gosh-knows-what and fall right into Zack and pull them both to the ground. Oh gosh, that was so not fresh and Zack was… laughing? And not in a mocking way? What?

“So I guess I finally managed to get you to fall for me, huh?” Zack giggled.

Cloud managed an astonished “wha?”

“You haven’t noticed?” Tifa rolled her eyes. “Cloud, he’s been swimming circles around you literally all day.”

Zack nodded. “You’re really cute, y’know.”

“I-- uh.” Cloud stammered. Color rose in his cheeks. “Thank you.”

“Maybe you two should go on a date,” Aerith said. She had a knowing smirk over her cheeks and one hand holding Tifa’s.

Zack perked up. “Wait, Aerith, did you plan this?”

“My lips are sealed.” She held up a finger to her lips and winked.

Cloud shared a glance with Zack, and Zack smiled. “So, what do you say?”

“Are you kidding?” Cloud’s face broke into a huge grin. “I absolutely want to go on a date with you!”


End file.
